Uronema marinum clean up
- Thread starter Deaffish
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mcarroll
10K Club member
Curious if you have microscope pics by any chance?
(I don't think you literally want to sterilize your rock, do you? Seems like a series of rinses in freshly seawater would do it. TTM for rock, essentially. Do you know what you're going to do differently next time around to avoid the problem?)
(I don't think you literally want to sterilize your rock, do you? Seems like a series of rinses in freshly seawater would do it. TTM for rock, essentially. Do you know what you're going to do differently next time around to avoid the problem?)
No I dont have any microscopic photos. I lost 3 chromis and 2 clown fish. They all presented with the same symptoms. A red mark on the side of the fish that turned into an open wound within 2 to 3 days the fish died.
I had just started doing the reef tank and didnt know about having a hospital tank. So the fish went into my DT and I guess thats how Uronema was introduced? Ive been told I will need to sterilze everything including the rock.
Moving forward so I dont have the same problem I will run a quarantine tank.
75gal DT 30gal refuge.
I had just started doing the reef tank and didnt know about having a hospital tank. So the fish went into my DT and I guess thats how Uronema was introduced? Ive been told I will need to sterilze everything including the rock.
Moving forward so I dont have the same problem I will run a quarantine tank.
75gal DT 30gal refuge.
mcarroll
10K Club member
How old is this tank?
Was it started with live rock?
Uronema is not an obligate parasite....the highly disturbed conditions of the tank caused them to turn to the fish for sustenance. The immune systems of the fish in question were probably low-functioning as a result of the same issues.
IMO, you shouldn't have to sterilize the tank....that might even be counter to the long term effort of stability.
Uronema marinum are normally free-living bacteria eaters – harmless to your fish.
Making sure your tank is matured enough for the fish being added. And make sure the fish get a freshwater dip before going into the display. With that you should be quite unlikely to have problems again.
As the link indicates, the fish that "have it worse" than what a freshwater dip will fix already have a poor prognosis...meaning they're unlikely to make it no matter what you do. This does happen, but should be extremely rare. Freshwater dips are a pretty strong screen. Uronema is almost unheard of, even among the crowds that do tend to have sick fish at the beggining of their tank.
IMO, shift into a slower gear, start the tank up with just some minor cleanup crew, and if you don't have corals you can even take it back to dark. Let it grow in this way for a few months. Don't let the tank starve, but don't to any big feedings during this period. After it's been calm, try lights and a few coral. Make sure you keep up with any algae growth...and add CUC as needed to help you.
Once that seems stable and you feel on top of the algae cycles, etc, you can start adding fish....I'd start with one and let that ride for a few months until you've seen the cycles come and go....then add some more corals....wait....a few more fish....wait.....etc. It should take quite a while to fill up a tank with fish.
(apparently there's a green algae with the identical name of our cilliate....isn't that not supposed to happen??? LOL)
Was it started with live rock?
Uronema is not an obligate parasite....the highly disturbed conditions of the tank caused them to turn to the fish for sustenance. The immune systems of the fish in question were probably low-functioning as a result of the same issues.
IMO, you shouldn't have to sterilize the tank....that might even be counter to the long term effort of stability.
Uronema marinum are normally free-living bacteria eaters – harmless to your fish.
Making sure your tank is matured enough for the fish being added. And make sure the fish get a freshwater dip before going into the display. With that you should be quite unlikely to have problems again.
As the link indicates, the fish that "have it worse" than what a freshwater dip will fix already have a poor prognosis...meaning they're unlikely to make it no matter what you do. This does happen, but should be extremely rare. Freshwater dips are a pretty strong screen. Uronema is almost unheard of, even among the crowds that do tend to have sick fish at the beggining of their tank.
IMO, shift into a slower gear, start the tank up with just some minor cleanup crew, and if you don't have corals you can even take it back to dark. Let it grow in this way for a few months. Don't let the tank starve, but don't to any big feedings during this period. After it's been calm, try lights and a few coral. Make sure you keep up with any algae growth...and add CUC as needed to help you.
Once that seems stable and you feel on top of the algae cycles, etc, you can start adding fish....I'd start with one and let that ride for a few months until you've seen the cycles come and go....then add some more corals....wait....a few more fish....wait.....etc. It should take quite a while to fill up a tank with fish.
(apparently there's a green algae with the identical name of our cilliate....isn't that not supposed to happen??? LOL)
EmdeReef
2500 Club Member
I'm sorry for your loss.
While not obligate, as stated, uronema is highly opportunistic and extremely virulent under favorable conditions (all of which are amplified in our closed systems). It will manifest itself on weakened fish in particular. Damsels/chromis/anthias appear especially susceptible, even when relatively healthy - likely due to being asymptomatic carriers. In an event of a major stressor to your tank uronema can strike very fast.
Was your tank fully cycled? Sometimes ammonia burns/poisoning may result in similar wounds.
Since your tank is new and if sure it is uronema, the only way of getting rid of it is restarting everything and bleaching the tank and rocks, discarding sand etc.
While not obligate, as stated, uronema is highly opportunistic and extremely virulent under favorable conditions (all of which are amplified in our closed systems). It will manifest itself on weakened fish in particular. Damsels/chromis/anthias appear especially susceptible, even when relatively healthy - likely due to being asymptomatic carriers. In an event of a major stressor to your tank uronema can strike very fast.
Was your tank fully cycled? Sometimes ammonia burns/poisoning may result in similar wounds.
Since your tank is new and if sure it is uronema, the only way of getting rid of it is restarting everything and bleaching the tank and rocks, discarding sand etc.
Thanks for the reply. The tank was fully cycled. Ive attached a photo of one of the chromis that died. All 3 had a similar wound.
EmdeReef
2500 Club Member
That definitely looks very much like uronema. I know some have had luck preventing outbreaks by not keeping chromis/damsels.
You basically have 3 options:
1) not keep damsels/chromis/anthias (to a lesser extent) - it’s worked for some
2) try to treat prophylactically for uronema, followed by quarantine to make sure the specimen is healthy - risky as uronema treatment is quite difficult and there’s no guarantee once you transfer a fish to your DT that it won’t get sick, also as soon as symptoms are present it’s almost a lost cause
3) sterilize tank and start over
I know neither is great...
@Humblefish @Big G @HotRocks for additional insights?
You basically have 3 options:
1) not keep damsels/chromis/anthias (to a lesser extent) - it’s worked for some
2) try to treat prophylactically for uronema, followed by quarantine to make sure the specimen is healthy - risky as uronema treatment is quite difficult and there’s no guarantee once you transfer a fish to your DT that it won’t get sick, also as soon as symptoms are present it’s almost a lost cause
3) sterilize tank and start over
I know neither is great...
@Humblefish @Big G @HotRocks for additional insights?
HotRocks
Fish Fanatic!
I agree with uronema diagnosis^^^
Once it's in the tank. Only way to get rid of it is sterilization of EVERYTHING, and scrapping LR and Sand. Or as mentioned above stay away from chromis etc. As they are the only ones affected.
Once it's in the tank. Only way to get rid of it is sterilization of EVERYTHING, and scrapping LR and Sand. Or as mentioned above stay away from chromis etc. As they are the only ones affected.
